The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1887-10-27
PANDEMONIUM ALOOSE.
A SERVICE THAT Is ga LIVING
MONSTROUS HORROR.'
God Is Not in rawlings, Not in CeremO-
nies, Not i'll Intellectual Flight, But
Deep in the Soul.
Especial Cor. STATE CHRONICLE.

|
| from the most unpromising substances, as
a bee gets sugar from dry corn stalk, or
! a billy-goat satisfaction from tin can.
! There are those who can read the geneal-
| Ogy of Abraham, draw a long sigh, and
feel spiritually refreshed. With what con-
tentment a mule will chew an old saddle
blanket, with head lowered, ears pendant
and that expression of peaceful serenity
upon his countenance. Not that mule
| has grace, but | was thinking of those who
| doze through Sabbath morning while the
priest drawls cut the service, and 60 home
with comfortable feeling of fulness
about their spiritual paunch. Yes, grace
must be mighty good thing.
| But l was about to remark that the edi-
| tor of this paper must surely be man of
| grace How touchingly he told Of those
'.people whom God made their primitive
worship under the spreading boughs, their
prayers ascending through the whispering
| leaves mingled with Natures thousand
| voiced thanksgiving. Its sweetness touch
| ed the chords of the soul.
| ',Let us fee from the city," said the
| Soul. ''Let Us leave these patent t-stitched,
machine-m made peo .Jle with their stately
| forms and hollow ceremonies. Let us go
out to those whom God made and lift our
voice with the voice of the bird, the brook,
and the grasshOpper."
We went, riding a mule.
1t was night, and the full orbed moon
| tinting the East invited to contemplation.
! What thoughts thronged the shade"
! mystical, strange. while the mighty cliffs
| loomed up, and depths or darkness lay
around.
Oh would that a mule had grace! Then
Jack had not lain down in the middle of
the creek like steer. "Mystical shadowsr'
Stuff. What is all this worth when your
mule is lying in the middle Of the creek
| and your boots full of water. The Soul
| joined the Body III rebukiug the beast
But We twisted his tail presently and pro
! ceeded.
| Poetry does not come TO a man whose
| boots are full of water, not even among
mystical shadows, but vigor does to the
spur foot Soon the sound of voices was
| heard from the hill and lights twinkled
through the trees The temple was a
spreading oak, and under this upon rough
! boards lain across fallen franks few of
the faithful were gathered.
| Our arrival was announced by an usher
mule and acknowledged by Jack with due
feryor. Then various other animal notes
discovered the steers, colts and old mares
tethered not far from the altar.
The voices of Nature" whispered the
Body The Soul was silent.
This commotion interrupted the singing,
which had been going on in a peculiar
! whining voice and the assembly turned to
examine the stranger who had chosen a
| seat in the rear. Every individual turns
| and remains turned. with as fixed a stare
as ever befe a wax baby, while from all
sides comes the question audlbly, who
is heI'' ''Where's he fromY ''W hats he
doing here.H interrupted now and then as
/ some man kicks a hound sinking beneath
the benches.
The congregation is gathering. Steer
| carts creek up; old women with pipes crawl
out, young women with babies, half grown
girls with scrawny naked shanhs, small
boys glorying in Suspenders. Coatless men
straggle up the hillside shoeless, with
| into place and comfort the squalling baby
with most maternal consolation, others
seek the tin snuff box, and sticks are in
| demand.
The men bite off ''chaws and begin to
squirt ambere. But every eye is pinned
upon the stranger till he seems suffocat-
| ing; turn which way he will a dozen pair 5
| transfx him.
| The strangers embarrassment is reliev-
| ed when the collarless preacher rises
''Jlm SKIES.
| No answer.
Jim SKIES"
Here comes voice. He was hear a
| baby.
Start Happy Fathers.
''All right
Whether it were the ghosts of departed
| fathers he was about to start, or whether
the preacher querried if happy fathers
could be found amid that bowling mob of
| babies, was for moment doubtful, till
jim, with burst of psalmody that might
have startled the Commanches raised a
tune beginning with those words. The
| initial note awoke the babies, one and all;
they screamed and hOwled and kicked.
| Yes, happy fathers, over yonder. The un-
happy fathers joined in the singing with
many sharps and flats. Harsh, discor-
dant, the notes rise and fall, strengthened
now and then with the mighty diapasOn of
the usher mule.
"NOw | wants you sinners as sits over
thar ter listen ter these sarvices,' began
| the preacher, when the singing had ceased.
''This aint no place for cOurtin', an l tell
you, for every laugh you laugh to night
you'll have ter give screech in hell.
81 was agwen ter preach, brotherin, on
a tex had picked out and studied, but
while we was asinging the Speerit moved
me ter another
| ''But DrOtnerln an SlSLefln WANT Ter
AK yer ter set still. A little moving puts
me out because got the liver disease, an
it sca,res me"
With these preliminaries the speaker
launched forth. He was young, the dis
trict school teacher, with a reputation fol
learning and W sdom.
81 will take you through the i-incient
worthless first, brotherin, an then come
down to our cry he went on. Then with
old Moses for starter he flew off to the
hornblower, Gabriel, yet hardly had
| touched this name when the meaning OF
Cherabm occupied him, and this in turn
was left unexplained for a flight to Peter
and ''heavenly nanny" forgotten at once
with the mention of "Ma1y Magdalen, the
mother of Christ" Verbose, incoherent
meaningless Not thought, not link
scarcely a dozen words connected, he
stumbles along after words. and names anc
empty sound.
At first slow and solemn, his voice hal
heard. But presently his blood warns, his
tone changes, his words come faster, hi:
fist falls at intervals upon the pulpit board
''The devil is sneaking about like roir
lion a-huntin' up heavenly NANNY! Gil
behind me satan! as Christ say, l hahn
got no use for you, becase l can throw
myself down often this here pinnycle an
git all the nanny | want outen rocks. III
gin you all the kingdoms of the earth